RIP Attenborough, Jurassic Park Legend

By: TCO

We lost a legend this weekend — Lord Richard Attenborough died just five days short of his 91st birthday. Although Attenborough had been in poor health since his stroke in 2008, he lived a fruitful life. One full of love, art, and kindness.

A talented man, Attenborough was an actor, producer, and director. He might be best known for his film Brighton Rock, a film noir from 1947, and Gandhi, which he produced and directed. Gandhi was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning eight (including Best Picture and Best Director). But for many nerds, he will always be best known for his role as John Hammond in Jurassic Park.

Jurassic Park captured the imagination and hearts of people everywhere. (I mean, who doesn’t love dinosaurs?!) Although the film was released in 1993, the story and special effects still hold up, a testament to Spielberg’s brilliance (I’ll admit it, this is a movie I like to watch at least once a year—a tradition I’ve learned others carry on as well). After watching a film over and over again, you become attached to the characters and the actors who play them; this is especially true of Attenborough’s portrayal of Hammond, the loveably* and misguided grandfather who just wanted to create something grand (he spared no expense, after-all). So the news of his death came hit a lot of JP fans hard.

So how to honor a man who brought dinosaurs back to life? Among the various tributes to Attenborough, my favorite have been the JP fan art. I’m not an artist though, so to honor Attenborough I’m going to copy my local video store and plan a Jurassic Park marathon. What better way to remember an artist than relive a piece of art that they brought to life?

By Nick Rees via nickrees365.tumblr.com

“John Hammond” By Siva Art via sivadigitalart.tumblr.com

By Bec Hill via mylifeasastickperson.tumblr.com

My park by griffsnuff via griffsnuff.deviantart.com

RIP Lord Richard Attenborough. You brought more joy to my generation than you could ever know.

terra@haveyounerd.com

*Hammond isn’t so loveable in the books. He is just a greedy man obsessed with dinosaurs. If you haven’t read the book, add it to your reading list.